It Starts with a Note
by ErinM
Summary: A series of notes. pre-series


**Title**: It Starts with a Note  
**Author**: Erin  
**Characters, Pairing**: Ahamo, the Mystic Man, Azkadellia, the Queen, Cain and Adora (mention of DG, Ambrose, Lonot, Zero, the Nurture Units and Jeb)  
**Rating**: PG  
**Summary**: A series of notes.  
**Warning**: pre-series  
**Disclaimer**: The original characters belong to L. Frank Baum and their respective actors. The current characters belong to Sci-Fi, the movie folks and their respective actors. The OCs are mine.

_Note: Each section is response to a note, etc. The note follows the section. It makes more sense in my head I fear..._

Ahamo slumped into the stool of the tavern. He'd been in the Realm of the Unwanted a whole five minutes – relatively speaking – and there was still much to do. He wanted to stay in Kansas, which was a joke in itself, but he knew he had to return to the Zone. He almost wished he hadn't gone with DG and the Nurture Units, but he would never forgive himself. And, this way, he knew she arrived safely and the rest was up to the Nurture Units.

**Heliotrope  
Package is delivered. Be well.**

The Mystic Man sat at the desk in his dressing room and frowned. It was done; there was no turning back. He thought back to the last month, receiving the summons from the Queen as soon as the royal family returned from Finaqua. The prophecy was in motion and they needed to find a way to help Azkadellia. The Queen and Ahamo were going to play dumb for the time being, until they could figure out the intentions of the witch. Until then, his job was to go back through the archives and find out how the witch got into the cave in the first place. Within a week, they'd moved to the Northern Island.

**Seeker  
In position.**

The Mystic Man and the Queen met under the auspice that she was quite a fan of his. He noted that Azkadellia was still playing the part of innocent princess, yet always right nearby to hear what was being said. The conversation was full of useless trivia and random tidbits, none of which made sense to anyone. But, had they been looking at the two of them as they spoke, one might have seen how the Mystic Man's eyes blinked once before certain words, and the way the Queen tilted her head at other words.

When the conversation turned to the loss of DG, Azkadellia became defensive of her mother and stepped closer, placing a hand on her mother's shoulder. The Queen played her part and rested her hand over Azkadellia's with a frown.

"It is difficult... but we still have each other," she said with a sad smile. "I just returned from the fields of the Papay," she said as her head leaned to one side. The Mystic Man blinked. "I brought back some flowers. DG did love the smell..." she trailed off and looked up to him a moment later, giving him another sad smile.

After a few more moments of silence, the Mystic Man patted his knees. "Well, the hour draws near. I should be on my way." He rose and bowed to the Queen and Azkadellia, and smiled when the Queen took his hands in hers.

"I thank you for your visit. Travel safe." He breathed a smile and nodded to each of them before leaving the palace. He had a message to deliver. The Queen watched him leave the parlor, catching sight of his bodyguard. The man glanced up as the door closed and blue eyes met lavender.

**Husker  
Emerald is secure. Seeker en route.**

"If she makes a move while I'm gone-" The Mystic Man placed a hand on Cain's arm and smiled.

"It may be hard to believe, Cain, but I am capable of taking care of myself." Cain breathed a laugh. "Besides," the Mystic Man said as he turned Cain and pushed him toward the door. "Your mission is one of great importance. If we hope to succeed, we need the Eastern Guild." He felt rather guilty for not telling Cain everything, but the less the Tin Man knew, the better.

"And you've found me an excellent bodyguard to fill in until you return." Cain huffed. Zero wasn't his first choice, but Cain had some slim pickings in terms of officers he trusted. He would rather send someone else east to spread the word of their plans, but he also knew that the best way to ensure the message was delivered was to do it himself.

He still didn't like it.

The Mystic Man pulled the door open and pushed Cain into the hallway. "Go home, see your wife. See your boy," the Mystic Man said loudly for all those within earshot to hear. "You've earned a break."

Cain stopped and turned to give him a nod. "If something should-" The Mystic Man winked and nodded before clapping Cain on the arm again. He turned and walked back down the hall, throwing a hand in the air. "If I see you back here before the end of the week," he called out and turned with a grin. "You're fired." He smiled again and moved back into his quarters.

Cain breathed heavily and turned to see Zero and two other Tin Men hunched over the desk, looking at a stack of papers.

He had a bad feeling about this.

**Heliotrope  
Made contact with Seeker.**

**Heliotrope  
Delivered message to Husker. Heat on foot.**

It hurt to breathe. The Queen felt like she had a great weight balanced on her shoulders as Ambrose was led away. Everything was falling apart. How could Lonot have changed sides? When would he have had the opportunity to be swayed? He knew of their plans, their contacts. She needed to warn them all.

She needed Ahamo by her side.

**Seeker  
Advocate out. Council detained.**

Cain returned to Central City to find the Mystic Man's residence in shambles. He felt the muscles in his neck tighten as his jaw locked and he began breathing heavily.

_'I shouldn't have left,'_ he thought, knowing that, if he'd been there, he'd be wherever the Mystic Man was now. And that wouldn't help the cause.

A bang in the hallway caused Cain to draw his pistol as he quickly turned around and moved to the doorway. Glancing out, he saw the Mystic Man stumble down into the table against the opposite wall. Cain let out a sigh and reholstered his gun before stepping toward the Mystic Man and pulling him up.

"What happened?" The Mystic Man looked up to him with a furrowed brow. Cain cursed – he'd seen the look in the Mystic Man's eyes before at the station. Giving the older man a good shake, Cain grabbed the Mystic Man's chin to hold his head straight.

"What happened?" he asked forcefully. The Mystic Man blinked and his head dropped forward. Cain knew there was no way he'd get information out of the Mystic Man now. Dragging him back into the room, Cain cleared off the small bed in the corner of the room and heaved the Mystic Man onto the bed. It would be a few hours before the Vapors wore off, and Wyatt Cain was not one to sit still, so he tried to neaten up the mess.

He checked the secret compartment where the notes from the Queen and the man he knew as Husker were hidden. Seeing that they hadn't been found, Cain sighed with relief and sat down to compose a message to the Queen. She needed to know about this, because even Cain didn't know what happened while he was gone.

He glanced over the previous messages – he didn't want to use the wrong term or give away too much. Seeing the last note from the Queen, Cain cursed under his breath. Lonot was supposed to be on their side. He knew Zero had already crossed over, which meant it was only a matter of time before they came looking for him.

He prayed that the Longcoats hadn't headed for Jeb and Adora yet; perhaps he could get there in time.

**Heliotrope  
Seeker compromised. Forgive me. Heat**

Ahamo let his chin drop to his chest as he leaned against the wall. The Resistance wasn't fully organized. They needed more time. And now there was none.

_'I should return,'_ he thought, knowing that his return would only mean capture. He was safer here in the Realm. But she wasn't. She was all alone now that Ambrose had been taken. And the Mystic Man – he was still alive, that much Ahamo knew, because the Tin Man wouldn't be running if the Mystic Man was dead. Ahamo was certain that Cain would probably be dead as well, had it come to that.

He hoped, anyway.

**Husker  
Lost Seeker. Lost Council. Advocate headed for Heat.**

Cain let the letter fall to the table as he stared down at the grooves in the wood. There wasn't enough time – the three men who'd pledged themselves to the cause had died in Central City. Cain still hadn't slept since returning from the stand-off; Adora was worried about him because he refused to talk about what had happened.

She left Jeb on the floor near the fireplace and moved across the room to Cain's side. "Wyatt?" she asked quietly, noticing the piece of paper resting on the table. She reached for it and her breath hitched. Blinking back the tears that formed, Adora let the paper fall back to the table and punched Cain's arm.

"You need to go, Wyatt." He blinked twice and glanced down to her and shook his head.

"I'm not leaving you here to-" Adora grabbed his arm and pulled him further away from Jeb, dropping her voice so the boy wouldn't hear.

"You will not stay here and be captured. God knows what they'll do if they-" Adora closed her eyes and took a moment to calm her nerves. She'd heard rumors of the suit and she didn't want to think about Wyatt spending the rest of his life in one of those things.

**Heat  
Advocate coming. Get out.**

Adora Cain was many things. And now she was a wife without her husband and mother to a son without a father.

If they thought Wyatt Cain was a problem, they would be sorely disappointed.

"We will finish what they started. Agreed?" she asked the group assembled in the small room. A dozen heads nodded in her direction. She nodded and unrolled a map of the Eastern Guild.

"Very well. First..."

**Heliotrope  
Heat lost. Will not give up.**

_Since there was some confusion during the Grand Prix..._

Ahamo Husker  
the Queen Heliotrope  
the Mystic Man Seeker (which Ahamo took over as -pretend it makes sense-)  
Cain Heat  
Lonot Advocate (also Zero)  
Ambrose Council


End file.
